The most widely used classification scheme for galaxies is based on one devised by Edwin P. Hubble and further refined by astronomer Gerard de Vaucouleurs. It uses the three main types, and then further breaks them down by specific characteristics (openness of spirals, size and extent of bars, size of galactic bulges). In this age of multi-wavelength observing, the sub-classifications also include markers for such characteristics as a galaxy’s star-formation rate and age spectrum of its stars.
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